


(When I) See You Again

by De_Marvel_Bunny



Series: Tony Stark & Co. [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Steve Rogers, Sick Tony Stark, Sort Of, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs Sleep, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, but not really tho, sad hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-16 03:05:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19309345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/De_Marvel_Bunny/pseuds/De_Marvel_Bunny
Summary: He's too skinny, a small part of his mind noted as he watched the two silhouettes in the opening of the space ship, one leaning heavily on the other."Tony""Steve?"OR,The one where Civil War is completely ignored, Steve and Tony love each other and I just wanted to write angst because I love Tony.





	(When I) See You Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kcusllay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcusllay/gifts), [The_Sad_Fangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sad_Fangirl/gifts).



> Okay, so my friend Angsty QueenTM sent me this exact prompt:
> 
> "Daaaabbb  
> Can you write me a sad but fluffy fic where tony comes back from being stuck in space but instead of it being the first time they see eachother again in 3 years tony comes back to steve just crying his eyes out bc they were in a loving commitment relationship and steve was just super worried about his lost boyfriend."
> 
> So, although I wrote this to please her (and myself because I love that prompt), I thought I'd share my bucketload of tears with you guys. So, enjoy, I guess.

Three weeks. Three weeks was all it took to tear Steve's life, and everything he'd built so far, apart.

Wakanda called him in for one of their meetings to open the Wakandan border to the rest of the world and T'Challa's place on the team. Nothing he hadn't done before. Only, this time, Tony had stayed behind. Claimed he had a time-sensitive project he needed to have finished soon.

Steve had caught a glance at the news. Seen the headlines on the big screen. Saw his boyfriend's face and 'Missing' in big, bold letters underneath it. Heard the reporter go on about a spaceship in the sky, Tony Stark disappearing after it. He never came back.

Not for three weeks.

And in those three weeks, chaos had gone to hope. The short-lived hope had gone to defeat and defeat had gone to tending the wounded and mourning the lost. Because they'd lost, and big time. And now he didn't even know if the one person he cared most about in this universe, empty as it was, was even still alive. If he wasn't... Steve didn't even want to think about that.

They'd sent the new girl, Carol Danvers, out to find him. All they knew was that he was in space ( _space_... Steve couldn't possibly imagine how scared Tony must be if he was still out there) and a vague direction. And she'd been gone for three days now. He was beginning to lose hope.

He looked up into the small mirror he'd used to shave, meeting his own eyes. He sighed. Sometimes it seemed unfair. Unfair to all those who were lost, to all those who died on the battlefield. Why did  _he_ survive? Why didn't  _he_ turn to dust? And the only way he was able to push down those thoughts these days was the memory of his boyfriend. His Tony.

His kind smile. A rare, soft, almost shy one that he showed to no one else. The soft looks and slight blush whenever he received a compliment. Or the rare moments he opened up and his whole posture would be open and vulnerable, or the way his eyes reflected the stars when they stayed up on the roof to help him overcome his fears of space. The way he'd fidget whenever he'd done something he believed would help Steve with his own anxiety since the ice. And the way he'd be so,  _so_ happy whenever Steve said a simple but meaningful _"I love you, Tony"_ , and the way he beamed when he returned the words.

A loud sound filled his ears, drowning out the rushing of his blood as he desperately tried to keep his tears at bay. Curiosity winning it from all the other emotions he'd been trying to push down for three weeks, he put on his jacket and rushed outside. He didn't exchange a single word with the others when he caught sight of the small, human (Kree?)-shaped fire carrying a large ship, gently setting it on the ground. He held his breath when the doors opened, revealing two silhouettes in the opening of the space ship, one leaning heavily on the other.

His breaths came out in stutters, catching in his throat as if he'd forgotten how to breathe. He shut out everything else as he saw a blue lady support Tony,  _his_ Tony, and helped him down the ramp. He was leaning heavily on her, seemingly unable to operate his legs properly. His head was hanging slightly as if just the pressure of gravity made it too heavy to hold up.

 _He's too skinny_ , a small part of his mind noted. But Steve couldn't hear his own thoughts over the desperate, longing  _"Tony"_ that tumbled from his lips. First, a soft whisper, quickly turning into something akin to a cry. He looked so sick as he slowly raised his head to look Steve in the eye.

"Steve," he mumbled, as he tried to pull away from the woman by his side and put weight on his own feet again.

"Steve..." a louder, more desperate cry as he struggled to stand on his own legs.

 _"Steve!"_   He screamed out, walking the last few feet on sheer force of will. Steve didn't hesitate to catch him when Tony stumbled, falling right into his arms where he held on for dear life.

 _"Tony..."_ Steve didn't try to hold back his tears this time. Didn't think about his responsibilities as the team leader, didn't care about having to look strong. Because screw them, he was allowed to cry. Tony,  _his_ Tony, was  _right here_. Right here, in his arms. His weak legs gave out but Steve supported his weight. He buried his face in the unkempt and slightly outgrown hair as the man cried into his shoulder, breathing in the scent of  _home_. Of his Tony.

He held onto his love, his light in this dark,  _dark_ universe, his grip tight but gentle as Tony melted in his arms.

"I lost the kid,"

"What?"

Tony looked up at him, though with seeming difficulty, red-rimmed and blood-shot eyes looking at him with a sense of defeat Steve had never seen before.

"I lost the kid."

It was no more than a whisper, a broken phrase easily whisked away by the soft summer breeze. But Steve heard it. And Steve knew what it meant. He pulled his lover against his chest as more broken sobs forced their way out of his throat.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay." He repeated the words like a mantra, over and over again in his lover's ear. But ultimately, Steve didn't know who he was trying to convince. And he certainly didn't know if the words he was saying were true. He didn't know if anything was ever going to be okay. But for now, as he held his lover in his arms, completely unaware of all that was going on around them, he figured he'd at least try. Try to be okay. Try to help others be okay.

As long as he had Tony, he would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Right. That's it. Hope you enjoyed, leave kudos and a comment because they make my day, stay hydrated and don't pull all-nighters. 
> 
> Yes, I'm looking at you, Hannah.
> 
> See y'all on the next one


End file.
